Concordia University (14-4) continued their solid team pitching and defense, sweeping St. Cloud State (5-13) 5-3 and 3-0 on Tuesday afternoon in non-conference action at Dick Putz field in St. Cloud, Minn. The Golden Bears recently jumped up to third in the latest NCBWA Central Region poll.
In the first game, the Bears fell behind 2-0 in the first inning but got a run back in the top of the second when a one-out
John Maciej double drove in
Andy Judkins after he walked and stole second.
In the fourth, Concordia took their first lead, manufacturing two runs with only one hit. The Bears drew three walks and a sacrifice fly by Maciej knocked in one of the runs with the other scoring on a passed ball.
The Huskies would respond by knotting the score at three in the bottom of the fourth, forcing starting pitcher
Derek Mason from the game at the end of the inning. Mason would pitch four innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with a walk and a strikeout.
After a scoreless fifth, the Bears reclaimed the lead in the sixth when
Jake Schmidt drilled a pinch hit two-run single, scoring Judkins and
Brenden Furrow.
With sophomore lefty
Kirk Ingram on the hill in relief of mason, the Huskies were held scoreless for the final three frames as Ingram picked up the win. In his three innings of relief, Ingram only needed to face the minimum nine batters, allowing one hit, no runs and no walks.
In game two, the Bears wasted no time jumping on top, scoring two in the top of the first. Leadoff man
Matt Borman was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a
Jake Waldman single. The duo executed the double-steal to move up to second and third and would come in to score on an rbi single by Schmidt along with an error by SCSU's right fielder.
That was all Concordia needed on offense as
Jake Campion,
Aaron Pfalzgraff and
Kirk Ingram would combine for a shutout victory.
Concordia added an insurance run in the seventh when
Mason Reinhart hit a bases loaded sacrifice fly to center field.
Campion started the game for the Bears and worked one scoreless inning, allowing one hit while walking three with a pair of strikeouts.
Pfalzgraff came on in relief in the second inning with two runners on and worked out of the jam. He allowed just one hit while striking out two in 4.2 scoreless innings to earn the victory.
Ingram came on in the sixth and worked 1.1 perfect innings, retiring all four batters to pick up the save.
The Bears have now won four straight and 11 of 13. They return to action this weekend, March 31-April 1 when they host the University of Mary in NSIC action at Barnes Field. Both games are slated for a noon first pitch.
cu 5, st. Cloud state 3
cu 3, st. Cloud state 0
